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Clip description
At work in the Japanese restaurant, Aya (Eri Ishida) talks to the man with whom she will later have an affair. She tells him she has been in Australia for eight years and that it is good for her son to grow up in Australia. He tells her he was born in Australia and, in response to a question from her, that he can only speak a little Japanese.
Curator’s notes
In this scene Aya is drawn to someone who, like her, understands what it is like to be caught between two worlds. He looks Japanese but has lived in Australia all his life. The matter-of-fact conversation is typical of the film’s gently handled exploration of racism. On several occasions, including in this sequence, the film’s voice-over has Aya reading letters that she has written to her sister. This device conveys information about Aya’s life, although she is glossing over her troubles. Aya is in English but some subtitles are used. The use of subtitles is relatively rare in Australian films.
